What frequency is best for studying and focus?

What should I put on for a study session?

Focus sessions typically use alpha (8–14 Hz) or low beta (14–20 Hz). Lucid uses 10 Hz for study sessions and 16 Hz for deep focus. Higher is not better, and the most common mistake is reaching for gamma because the number sounds more serious.

Alpha or beta

Alpha, around 8–12 Hz — associated with relaxed alertness. Suits long reading, revision and work you can sustain for hours.
Low beta, around 14–20 Hz — associated with active engagement. Suits a defined block of demanding work.
Gamma, 30 Hz and above — heavily marketed, thinly evidenced, and often tiring to listen to. Not a good default.

As with sleep, these ranges are borrowed from EEG descriptions of states, not settings that install a state. The research on binaural beats and attention is mixed: some studies report improvements in sustained attention or working memory, others find no difference against control audio. Treat the band as a reasonable starting point and pay attention to what actually helps you.

The parts that matter more

In practice, three things influence a study session more than the frequency does.

Length decided in advance. A session with a defined end is a commitment; audio that runs indefinitely becomes background you stop noticing.
No lyrics. Language competes with reading and writing directly. This is the best-supported finding in the whole area of study audio.
Consistency. Using the same sound for the same kind of work builds a reliable cue much faster than optimising the Hz.

A reasonable starting point

For a revision session: alpha around 10 Hz, light ambience such as rain, length matched to the block you actually intend to do. For a demanding task where you need to push: low beta around 16 Hz, minimal ambience. If you find yourself listening to the audio rather than working, the beat is too noticeable — lower the volume or drop to a quieter ambience.